APPLE HARVEST QUINOA SALAD + TAHINI MAPLE DRESSING

Bring in the autumn with this delicious Apple Harvest Quinoa Salad recipe with Tahini Maple Dressing!

A little sweet, a little tart and a then a little more sweet, this apple quinoa salad is filled with heart healthy quinoa, crisp apples, juicy grapes, crunchy celery, slivered almonds, raisins (or cranberries if you prefer), fresh mint and cinnamon, all drizzled with a maple sweetened tahini dressing.

It’s a wonderful mix of light and refreshing flavors!

The salad can be made in one pot and uses common ingredients, so you can whip this up anytime!

Feel free to add/subtract ingredients to suit what you have on hand, or to suit your taste.

I love versatility and this apple quinoa salad allows for that. This is a must your ‘to try’ list. It’s a keeper!

And then if it couldn’t get any better, in comes the creamy tahini maple dressing!

Without the tahini maple dressing this salad can stand alone, especially with the nice hint of cinnamon, but let me tell you, a good drizzle of this dressing adds a whole new layer of yum factor!

The sesame paste isn’t bitter here at all and mixes well with sweetness of the maple syrup. It has a unique flavor that I cannot explain and is something you must experience for yourself, if you haven’t already.

I am now officially addicted to this newly found sweet tahini maple dressing. I also couldn’t help myself from using it as a dip for sliced apples.

Once combined all together, this apple quinoa salad and tahini maple dressing is full of flavor, texture and simple deliciousness in every bite. And, it’s 100% percent good for you!

Instructions

Rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. In a medium size pot, add water and quinoa, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover and let set 15 minutes, fluff with a fork.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare your dressing by combining ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside to let the flavors relax into each other. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thin as needed. To thicken add more tahini. It should be thin enough to drizzle. Dressing serves four.

Core and dice apples, top with lemon juice and toss gently (I did this right on the cutting board to not dirty up another bowl). Prepare the remaining ingredients. Add the apples, grapes, celery, raisins, almonds, mint leaves and cinnamon to the quinoa, mix well. Taste for flavor adding more cinnamon if you like.

Spoon into serving dishes and serve with a good drizzle of the sweet tahini dressing.

Serves 4 – 6

NOTES:

I used 1 granny smith and 1 fuji apple. Feel free to use your favorite apples.

This recipe is just a template…feel free to sub in unsweetened cranberries for the raisins (I use raisins because they contain no added sugars and I can find organic ones easily). Opt to leave the celery or grapes out using just apples (or use any combo you like). Add in a grated carrot for more color. Add more cinnamon if you like. Try using pecans instead of almonds. Try serving with some leafy greens. Have fun playing around with this making it your own.

Store at room temperature if eating within a few hours or store in the refrigerator until ready.

I have made this recipe Apple Harvest Quinoa at least 5 times since finding it. I did change it up just a bit by omitting the grapes and using 1 1/2 apples instead of two. I use currants instead of raisins since currants are lower in sugar; however I do realize they are harder to find. Aside from that I make it as noted here. I liked it so much I have added it to my own blog and of course giving credit to The Simple Veganista :) The sweet Tahini sauce???? What can I say; it packs a really big YUM factor. Thank you!

After searching the internet for just the right vegan salad to bring to a Thanksgiving pot luck supper ,I decided upon this lovely recipe…. It was perfect! It was the hit of the supper! I added a fresh persimmon which made the colors pop even more, threw in some raw sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries….I doubled the recipe because it was a large crowd… many guests took home extra helpings in ziploc baggies!! I felt like a rock star! Thanks so much for this great recipe!! I love your recipes!!